Biography
With long brown hair, bright eyes, and full lips, Ione Skye first worked as a fashion model before getting into acting. The daughter of '60s folk rocker Donovan, she was born in England but raised by her mother in the U.S. Her modeling photographs caught the attention of director
Tim Hunter, who cast her in his bleak teen drama
River's Edge along with
Keanu Reeves and
Crispin Glover. She continued to get good roles throughout the '80s as the spoiled rich girl Denise in
A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon and the valedictorian Diane Court in
Cameron Crowe's bittersweet romantic comedy Say Anything..., arguably her best leading performance. She also had significant roles in the comedy
The Rachel Papers, the drama
Mindwalk, and the short period piece
Carmilla. In 1992, she played the rebellious older sister Trudi in
Gas Food Lodging, which also starred her brother,
Donovan Leitch, as
Fairuza Balk's glam friend, Darius. Director
Allison Anders would later cast Skye in a segment of
Four Rooms. The same year, she played
Rob Lowe's girlfriend in
Wayne's World and Eleanor Grey in the medieval TV series Covington Cross. A number of supporting performances followed, including the '50s-inspired crime flicks
Guncrazy with
Drew Barrymore and
Girls in Prison with
Anne Heche. Starring roles included the romantic comedy
Dream for an Insomniac and the independent comedy drama Went to Coney Island on a Misson From God... Be Back by Five. Following the breakup of her nine-year marriage to Beastie Boy
Adam Horowitz, Skye got remarried and had her first baby. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide